Investment case for the national health strategy 2021-2025

ABSTRACT

The Government and stakeholders in the health sector aspire to realize improved health outcomes for all, including the vulnerable and marginalized, to enhance Zimbabwe's human capital development towards a prosperous and empowered upper-middle income society. Zimbabwe's National Health Strategy (2021- 2025) was therefore developed, not only to advance its vision and goal for the next 5 years, but to also act as a guide on priority health interventions in the sector in order to improve the country's economy and overall wellbeing of the citizens. As such, the strategy is aligned with the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025). Chief among the NDS 1 priorities will be sustainable economic growth, anchored on sector specific growth enablers ­ such as infrastructure, human resources, technology, macroeconomic stability, financial stability, and sustainable public debt management. Focus on transformational value chains, international re-engagement, enablers for improved social welfare and inclusive growth (such as health, food security, effective governance and community and youth participation) complete the priority list of the NDS 1 2021-2025. The NHS 2021-2025 also considers a number of programme specific strategies in the health sector. These include the Human Resources for Health Strategy, National Infrastructure Development Plan, the HIV and AIDS Strategy, the Non-Communicable Disease Strategy, Mental Health Strategy, and the Community Health Strategy. The NHS 2021-2025 is anchored on the concept of an Investment Case. The NHS investment case outlines how the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ), in partnership with donors, will efficiently save lives, improve health and nutrition outcomes and accelerate the attainment of national goals in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The NHS investment case considered the results and lessons learnt from the Mid Term Review of the National Health Strategy 2016-2020 and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019. NHS Investment Case used the World Health Organization (WHO)'s One Health Tool, which focuses on estimating the cost of Health Services and Health Systems Strengthening while the effectiveness of health interventions was estimated using the disease specific Impact Models and the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Results were customized to the Ministry's Programme Based Budgeting format, which required that programmes be grouped first into 4 broad categories; Policy and Administration, Public Health; Curative Services and Bio- Medical Science Engineering and Pharmaceutical Production. The development of the National Health Strategy Investment Case was spearheaded by a taskforce led by MoHCC with technical assistance from its development partners. Technical Working Groups (TWGs) on Investment Case and Health Financing were set up to support the costing of the NHS. These TWGs drew membership from the MoHCC, MoFED, Development Partners and NGOs and Civil Society Organisations. These technical working groups identified the interventions and activities to be costed and also assisted in the prioritization of the interventions. 13 Mini